Stage 3 Sunday 21 Sept: Calais to Wissant (21km/13m)
Our route over coming days
The first continental stage of this trip was really beautiful. Despite some strong wind and a bit of drizzle, the walking was pretty good. Gary & I avoided most of the beach walking in favour of pavement, but Hans & Lynn spent quite a bit of the first half on the sand. We arrived in Wissant in time to have lunch before working our way back to Calais.
Hotel de Ville (Calais’ town hall)The Burghers of Calais by Rodin… an inspiring story and a favourite of Inspector Gamache in Louise Penny’s booksChurchill & De GaulleDe Gaulle and his wife, Yvonne VendrouxTour de Guet, the official start of today’s sectionsBronze waymarkers in CalaisCalais Marina, “Paradise Basin”, tide out. German WW2 bunkers near Calais On the beach promenade… lots of distances noted including Melbourne & BrisbaneQuite windy!Rainbow about these wooden pillars/barriers. Jellyfish like these have become prolific on beaches along this coast ParagliderWhite cliffs scross the Channel, with “our” ferry P&O Liberte in frontThere were hundreds of motor bikers leaving Sangatte (at about 8km) todayLooking back over the Fond Pignon, an artificial lake created during the construction of the Channel Tunnel with the blue chalk dug from the StraitLooking over Escalles as we approach the Dover Patrol Monument on Cap Blanc Nez Dover Patrol Monument Heading down from the monument Walking together, sort ofLooking back at the MonumentThe path took us down along the beach… but the tide was coming in! Fortunately there was an escape route back up to a road just aheadHans & Lynn just behind usInto Wissant, and although the Church of St Nicholas (our target today) was open it unfortunately didn’t have a stamp for our credentials 🥴Lunch at the Hotel de la PlageBeef cheeks… the nicer of the meals To get home, we taxied back to Escalles then caught the bus to Calais. Here waiting in the centre of Escalles.
Morocco Food Tour 